Araxis scowled as he surveyed the Balmoran spaceport. Nothing but scum of the earth bounty hunters, and low ranking Imperial officers everywhere. If this was the initial impression the young Sith had, he dreaded what he would find upon exiting this wretched place.

"Why the Empire and the Republic fight for this planet I will never know." Araxsis growled to Khem, as they entered the Imperial base. Though the Dashade never got the chance to reply as an Imperial officer made his way towards the two new arrivals.

"Major Besseker at your service My Lord." He said saluting the young Sith. "Darth Zash has brought me up to speed on your mission here on Balmora."

"Convenient." Araxsis began crossing his arms. "But I sense that there is a catch."

"Indeed there is My Lord." Besseker said. "What you're looking for is in an old temple converted by the Balmorans into a toxic waste storage facility. The unfortunate part is, that in the last war, the facility was hit rather hard, and your mission takes you the the bottom of the facility."

"I'll just get some diving gear and go." Araxsis said with a simple shrug of his shoulders.

"Were it so simple." Besseker said shaking his head. "The waste would kill even the most powerful of Sith."

"Recemendations then." Araxis said, beginning to grow impatient.

Besseker thought for a moment, before turning to a younger officer. "Captain, do we still have those pumps?"

The young Imperial Captain nervously approached his superior officer. "Sir, if this vault in question is the one I am thinking of, those pumps won't do much good. The fumes alone have put men in the medical bay."

Now Besseker was beginning to grow impatient. "Tell me then Captain, is there nothing that can survive that toxic waste!?"

"Well nothing grows there Sir." The young Captain said. "But there are the Collicoids."

"Collicoids?" Major Besseker asked, taken aback. "What do those bugs want with toxic waste?"

"Food sir." The Captain began. "Our surveillance satellites have recorded them feeding on the waste. Apperantly, they've adapted to eat the mess."

"So how do I become a Collicoid?" Araxis asked, seeing this was the only option.

"Sir?" The Captain asked surprised.

Besseker held up a hand, to silence the younger officer. "No Captain, he's right. To get to the bottom of that pit, he'll need to become like the Collicoids. There must be a way to take on their resistance, so you can enter the vault. Where were these creatures created Captain?"

"I cannot say for certain." The Captain began. "But there was a research lab not far from here, that was overrun with the creatures, when the Balmorans abandoned it. But the Collicoids are vicious creatures. I've seen just one, tear apart an entire squad."

Araxsis gave a huff of laughter. "Well your squad had one thing in common with everyone else you sent in there. They weren't me."

"If you can get into that research lab and find out what the Balmorans did to the Collicoids, we'll see what we can do for you." Besseker said.

"Though it may not be much." The Captain said. "We're low on resources here. We've had to repair blasters with adhesive tape."

"You do what you can with what you have." Araxsis said. "I'll make a call to my master and have a few care packages delivered."

"That." Araxsis snarled to himself as he pulled himself out of the toxic sludge, and began to discard the borrowed diving gear. "Is the absolute last time I ever do anything like that!

"Swimming in toxic waste? I can't imagine why you'd never want to do that again." Araxsis activated his lightsaber, having been caught off guard by the newcomer. The man to whom the young Sith cast his murderous glare to was a towering red and black-skinned Zabrak, with a heavy duty set of Sith armor covering his body. The Zabrak's lightsaber was a menacing looking weapon, though also fairly simple in design as two sharpened blades formed a combination of a cross guard, and a set of shade emitters.

"Shur'rek." Araxsis sighed, deactivating his lightsaber. "What brings you here?"

"Were you going to attack me Araxsis." Shur'rek asked, his arms now crossed and smirking in almost the same challenging way Araxsis did.

"I was thinking about it." The smaller Sith replied, as he rolled his lightsaber between his fingers.

"Do you really think you could challenge me?" Shur'rek asked, as he reached for his own lightsaber, but was halted by a blue-skinned Twi'lek half his size.

"Not to break up the bro-mance." She began, and tapped her wrist indicating they must have been on a timetable. "But we have a mission to complete here."

Shur'rek looked almost disappointed, but put his lightsaber back on his belt before turning his attention back to Araxsis. "We're hunting a Jedi who has incriminating evidence about my Master's spy network."

"Looks like you're about to say that you need some help." Araxsis began as a communicator on Shur'rek's armored glove beeped.

"Damn." Shur'rek said. "Jedi's at the spaceport. Quinn's men are boxing her in, but we have to move now."

"Anything that gets me out of this horrid toxic pit." Araxsis replied, before the two Sith's, the Twi'lek and Araxis' Dashade rushed to the spaceport. Imperial soldiers usured them through the blockade they had set up once they had reached their destination, and it was no time at all until they had caught up to the Jedi Shur'rek was tracking.

"You're too late Sith's." The Jedi said calmly. "I have already transmitted the data I've recovered to the Republic. Darth Baras' agents will have nowhere to hide once the Republic has my information."

"I'm afraid that will not be happening." An Imperial Lieutenant said rather confidently, as he strode past the two Sith's. "I've effectively blocked your transmission Jedi. The Republic knows nothing."

"Excellent work Lieutenant, I'm putting you up for a Captaincy. Now you have one last task Jedi." Shur'rek smirked evilly, as he activated his lightsaber.

"Hold on Shur'rek." Araxsis said, placing an arm across the larger Sith's chest. "This Jedi must have more information we could use against the Republic. It would be useful to see how much she can tell us."

The large brutish Sith thought for a moment, before nodding and deactivating his weapon. "You're right. Lieutenant Quinn, take this Jedi into custody."